Sustainable energy chains for effective chamfering

What was needed: An energy chain made from recycled plastic that can withstand extreme loads.
Requirements: High tensile and breaking strength with simultaneous sustainability in material use.
Industry: Mechanical engineering, specialising in sheet metal processing.
Success for the customer: The cradle-chain enabled Bystronic to reduce CO₂ emissions by 28% while maintaining the same technical performance and easy integration into the ByBend Star 120 press brake. The components used, such as the energy chains and cables, sustainably optimise the machine's functionality and sustainability.

Bystronic, a leading company in sheet metal processing, is known for its innovative and efficient laser-cutting and chamfering systems. In addition to technological development, sustainability is becoming increasingly important. The production of the new ByBend Star 120 press brake presented a particular challenge: it was necessary to find a solution that fulfils high environmental standards without restricting the machine's high performance. The enormous forces that act on both machine and components when chamfering sheet metal call for resilient and durable components that reliably supply power and data. Components were required that not only guarantee performance, but also offer ecological value.

Supporting the circular economy was a key aspect. As energy chains are traditionally made of non-recycled plastic and incinerated at the end of their life, the company was looking for an alternative that combined sustainability with technical reliability.

For the ByBend Star 120, Bystronic found the cradle-chain energy chains, which consist of 100% recycled plastic and are nevertheless durable and resilient. These new energy chains are based on the material igumid CG and proved their performance in long-term tests, guaranteeing a breaking strength of 96% and 94% tensile strength compared to conventional materials.

Thanks to the chainge recycling process, energy chains are collected by type at the end of their life and processed into high-quality recyclate. This is used for producing the cradle-chain via injection moulding. The energy chains were supplied fully harnessed in the press brake and contained cables from the chainflex series, which are specified for moving applications. These cables are suitable for a wide range of data, bus and hybrid systems as well as control and drive systems, ensuring maximum flexibility in the applications.

In addition, linear guides from the drylin W series enhance the design of the ByBend Star 120, allowing for more component use from one source. Thanks to the cradle-chain, CO₂ emissions can be reduced by 28% - while maintaining the same load capacity and performance.

The conclusion of the first few months is consistently positive: the recycled energy chains fulfil all requirements of the force-intensive bending process and are a reliable component of the machine. With the ByBend Star 120, Bystronic proves that sustainability and high performance can go hand in hand and sets a forward-looking example for a genuine circular economy in mechanical engineering.